Kapolei, 'Aiea rested and ready for OIA White final
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Having each played one game in the past three weeks, Kapolei and 'Aiea anxiously await tonight's O'ahu Interscholastic Association White football championship at Mililani High's stadium.
Kickoff is at about 7:30.
HERNANDEZ
Both teams have clinched berths to the inaugural Division II state tournament, which starts next Friday. Tonight's winner draws yet another bye, while the loser will play ILH Division II representative Damien next Friday.
The Hurricanes (9-0), ranked fifth in The Advertiser Top 10, and Na Ali'i (7-2) have been in a stop-and-go mode since their regular season ended almost a month ago. They had a week off before their semifinals and a week off the past week, setting up tonight's rematch of an Oct. 10 regular season meeting won by the Hurricanes, 44-24.
Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez, an assistant with the Hawaiian Islanders arena team during the summer, said players get restless during bye weeks.
"The arena guys are more mature," he said. "They're men, so the bye doesn't affect them. But high school guys have difficulty trying to keep their focus. They don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I kind of had to get 'em going."
'Aiea coach Wendell Say said motivating his players wasn't really an issue. They know they are better than the 20-point drubbing they took the last time.
• WHO: 'Aiea (7-2) vs. No. 5 Kapolei (9-0) for varsity title • When: Today, 7:30 p.m. • Where: Mililani High stadium • Tickets: $7 general, $5 student with school IDs and 8th graders and below • TV: Live on OC-16 • Who: Leilehua (9-0) vs. Kahuku (8-1) for JV title • When: 5 p.m. • TV: None
"It hasn't been that bad," Say said. "The motivation for them is to play for the championship. The practices have been good. If we didn't have that motivation, we'd be dragging."
OIA Division II football championships
The Hurricanes, one of two unbeaten teams in the state — the other being OIA Red champion Kahuku (11-0) — have blown through their schedule that started with an upset of perennial power Wai'anae in preseason.
After a 14-7 preseason loss to eventual West champion Mililani, Na Ali'i won five in a row before losing to Kapolei.
In their previous meeting, Kapolei's quarterback tandem of John Medeiros and Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada exploited their strengths. Medeiros passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns, while Kaheaku rushed for 148 yards on just five carries, including TD runs of 77 and 59 yards.
"Kapolei has so many weapons," Say said. "You can't just defend one. They have two good quarterbacks; their running game is solid. We just have to be good in all phases of the game."
Medeiros has thrown only four interceptions this season, all against Kalaheo with two in the regular season and two in the semifinals. He has 13 TD passes. Kaheaku has 11 rushing TDs, including preseason.
'Aiea's downfall last time was turnovers. Sophomore Kali Kuia was intercepted four times and Na Ali'i also lost a fumble.
"That's been the hallmark of our defense," Hernandez said. "Kainoa Enhada has eight interceptions this year and Bronson Pieper has six interceptions. In fact, all of our starting defensive backs have at least two interceptions."
It wasn't just the turnovers that hurt 'Aiea.
"We have a better chance if we execute better," Say said. "We dropped eight passes the first game. That doesn't help when you throw the ball (a lot). Turnovers and penalties, we cannot do (either) in a championship game."
When Kuia is on, he can be dangerous. He passed for 1,561 yards during the regular season. He has four regular targets in receivers Ben Ah Mook Sang (532 yards), Alden DeMello (475) and Jonathan Burgos (305), and running back Raymond Tauala (287).
Big Island
• Division I: No. 8 Kealakehe (8-1), in its fifth varsity season, is looking for its first Big Island Interscholastic Federation championship when it hosts Hilo (7-2) at 7 tonight.
After a 41-0 loss to Kamehameha, the Waveriders went unbeaten through the BIIF regular season. Hilo, which had the second-best regular season record in the league at 6-2, beat Waiakea, 37-13, in last week's opener of the three-team playoff.
Last year, Kealakehe tied for first with the best regular-season record, but fell to Hawai'i Prep in the BIIF championship. The Waveriders don't have to worry about Ka Makani this time because they are in Division II.
The winner will host OIA third-place representative Farrington in next Friday's quarterfinals of the Division I state tournament.
• Division II: Hawai'i Prep is looking to making its second consecutive state appearance if it can beat Konawaena, 2 p.m. tomorrow at HPA.
Hawai'i Prep (6-4) beat Konawaena (6-4) two weeks ago in the regular season finale. Ka Makani drew a bye for their tournament, while the Wildcats beat Honoka'a, 21-7, last week to advance to tomorrow's title game.
The winner will travel to Maui to play Maui Interscholastic League Division II representative Lahainaluna in an opening round game of the Division II state tournament. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
